The present disclosure relates to an image forming system including image forming apparatuses for forming images on paper and a server connected with the image forming apparatuses via a network.
An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of units (devices). The units for example include a drum unit and a belt unit. The drum unit and the belt unit need to be replaced because of for example lifetime once the number of sheets printed using the units or the driving time of the units has exceeded a specific level. A worker from the manufacturer performs maintenance and management such as replacement of a unit that has reached the end of its lifetime. Thus, the image forming apparatus can continue to be used to form images without experiencing deterioration in quality of the images.
Typically, each unit has non-volatile memory (for example, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM)) for recording unit-specific information such as a control number and the number of printed sheets. If a unit is replaced while power supply to the unit is maintained, over voltage may occur upon attachment or detachment of the unit, damaging a component of the unit such as the EEPROM. Furthermore, work efficiency of the worker may be reduced.
Replacement of a unit can be carried out without concerns of over voltage and electrical shock so long as the image forming apparatus as a whole is turned off. However, this is inconvenient because a replacement procedure cannot be displayed on a monitor or the like, and an instruction manual needs to be prepared for a complicated replacement procedure.
In one example, for replacement of a unit of an image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus shifts from a normal power supply mode to a component replacement power supply mode through a worker manually shifting the mode of the image forming apparatus using an operation section. In the normal power supply mode, power is supplied to the entire image forming apparatus. In the component replacement power supply mode, power supply is performed in a different manner than in the normal power supply mode so that an operator can replace a component. Thus, it is possible to reliably perform unit replacement while improving work efficiency of the worker.